CVE-2004-0985
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedInternet Explorer 6.x on Windows XP SP2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code, as demonstrated using a document with a draggable file type such as .xml, .doc, .py, .cdf, .css, .pdf, or .ppt, and using ADODB.Connection and ADODB.recordset to write to a .hta file that is interpreted in the Local Zone by HTML Help.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceInternet Explorer 6.x on Windows XP SP2 contains a vulnerability allowing arbitrary code execution through the abuse of draggable file types (.xml, .doc, .py, .cdf, .css, .pdf, .ppt). Attackers leverage ADODB.Connection and ADODB.recordset components to write a malicious .hta file, which is then executed in the Local Zone via HTML Help.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data= 6.0CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Verify Internet Explorer versionOpen IE, click Help > About Internet Explorer, or check the version in Registry at HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet ExplorerAffected if Version is 6.0 (specifically, not 5.x or 7+) and running on Windows XP SP2
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Confirm Windows XP SP2 environmentRight-click My Computer > Properties, or run 'winver' command from Run dialogAffected if Operating system is Windows XP with Service Pack 2 installed
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Verify ActiveX controls are enabledIn IE, go to Tools > Internet Options > Security > Custom Level, check 'Initialize and script ActiveX controls not marked as safe' is enabled, or check Registry for ActiveX settingsAffected if ActiveX controls and scripting are allowed in the Local Zone (or zones where drag/drop occurs)
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Confirm HTML Help functionality is activeCheck if hh.exe (HTML Help) is present in system32 folder and not disabled via Group Policy or registry restrictionsAffected if HTML Help (.chm files) can be launched via HTML content, which is required for the .hta execution vector
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Check for ADODB component registrationCheck if ADODB.Connection and ADODB.recordset COM components are registered (regsvr32 adodb.dll) or attempt to instantiate via IE with <object> tagsAffected if ADODB COM components are installed and accessible to IE scripts
Environment is affected if running IE 6.0 on Windows XP SP2 with ActiveX controls enabled and HTML Help functional, allowing draggable file types to be exploited via ADODB to write and execute malicious .hta files.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataUpgrade from Internet Explorer 6 and Windows XP SP2 to supported versions, or disable ActiveX/HTML Help functionality as a compensating control if legacy software constraints prevent upgrades.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2004-0985 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2004-0985 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data